Latino Families Research Articles

The Role of Informal Supports on Parent Stress and Family–Professional Partnerships of Latino Parents of Children with Disabilities

ABSTRACT Informal supports have been identified as frequently accessed sources of support for Latino families, and challenges Latinos face in obtaining adequate support through formal sources are also recognized. However, informal supports may be less available to parents of children with disabilities. The current study looks at the relationships between parent stress, informal social supports, and family professional partnership (FPP) for Latino parents of children with disabilities. In this study 168 parents who identified as Latino and a parent of a child with a disability completed surveys in early 2022 about their parenting stress, sources of support, and FPP. The study highlights nuances in the relationships between these constructs, among Latino parents of children with disabilities, and found when a parent reports low informal supports, there is a significant relationship between parent stress and FPP, specifically when measuring the total support offered and support provided to a child by an educator. Increased awareness of informal and formal supports available to and accessed by Latino families will help educators gain a more complete picture of the needs of a child and their family, and can inform the efforts around building relationships with the families they serve.

Questioning the status quo: Latino community members as researchers in the study of health equity.

Latinos experience disproportionate rates of obesity and related conditions like type 2 diabetes, which are projected to increase (Mohebi et al., 2022). Standard interventions for these issues often fall short due to individual-focused approaches and the lack of culturally sensitive definitions of health that include emotional, physical, political, and social domains (Gutierrez Chavez et al., 2022; Ritchie et al., 2020). Multilevel and multidimensional research efforts, integrating social justice-informed orientations, psychotherapy science, and behavioral medicine, are crucial for addressing these health inequities (Asnaani, 2023; Collins et al., 2018; Rodriguez Espinosa & Verney, 2021). Additionally, critically analyzing researcher and participant roles is essential to avoid perpetuating systemic racism (Cook et al., 2023). This article highlights the need for a paradigm shift in psychotherapy research by (a) describing Latino families' eating patterns and coping strategies for emotional distress through focus groups in the community and (b) illustrating the process behind the community-partnered development of a culturally responsive mindfulness-based health intervention. Importantly, this research approach emphasizes liberation psychology theory in the exploration of structural influences affecting health (Martín-Baró, 1996). While mindfulness techniques are feasible in this population (Cotter & Jones, 2020), Latino communities may not be amenable to the current presentation of mainstream psychological science interventions. Our research paradigm informed the conceptualization of mindfulness techniques through both clinical science and critical lenses. Thus, this study argues for reconceptualizing the definition of a successful psychotherapy study to include community engagement and liberatory principles, making the potential for big needle jumps in addressing health inequities incalculable. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Missed Opportunities for Intervening Early in Preschoolers with Developmental Concern: Perspectives From Head Start Parents, Teachers, and Healthcare Providers.

The purpose of this study was to discover the care meanings of facilitators and barriers to detection and intervention for developmental delay among Head Start preschool-aged children, as viewed by parents, teachers, and primary care providers. We used a qualitative focus group design and broad cultural lens to understand similarities and differences in family and professional care, as Head Start programs educate preschoolers living in poverty who are disproportionately from ethno-racial minoritized groups. We sought the perspectives of 15 Head Start parents equally representing Black, Latino(a), and White parents, 17 teachers, and 11 healthcare providers to discover facilitators and barriers to adherence with professional recommendations. We found that silos in professional communications, parent distrust, knowledge deficits, and stigma were barriers to obtaining developmental recommendations. Participants also identified missed opportunities to facilitate interagency coordination, parental advocacy of a child's developmental needs, and professional alliances to take collaborative actions for early identification and treatment. Furthermore, a subculture of poverty adversely influenced adherence to developmental recommendations, and ethno-racial biases affected Black and Latino(a) families' follow-through. Our findings highlight how the lack of coordination between sectors resulted in the dismissal of parental concerns or denial of services by 1 system or the other, thus, at the very least reducing the child's chances for earlier intervention and treatment. We also identified potential benefits to children when the barriers of poverty and ethnoracial bias are addressed by professionals with coordinated actions, and new systems are developed for sharing developmental screening results and partnering to coordinate care across the preschool and primary healthcare settings.

Lessons from a Pilot Study of a Culturally Tailored Financial Well-Being Intervention Among Latino Family Caregivers.

This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05292248).

Reducing Learning and Psychosocial Disparities in Latino Children with Cancer: A Randomized Intervention Trial.

We developed a high-intensity parenting intervention (HIP) to help parents support the academic success of childhood cancer survivors (CCSs), who often face post-treatment challenges affecting their school-related functioning. This randomized controlled trial (NCT03178617) evaluated HIP's efficacy compared to lower-intensity, single-session, treatment-as-usual services (LIP) in Latino families. Primary outcomes were parenting efficacy and CCSs' school functioning; secondary outcomes included parenting knowledge and measures of CCSs' academic performance, attention, and functioning outside of school. 106 Latino survivors of childhood leukemia and lymphoblastic lymphoma (aged 6-12 years) and their parents were randomly assigned to HIP (n = 54) or LIP (n = 52). Linear mixed-effects models evaluated group differences across baseline, 6-month (T2), and 12-month (T3) assessments. Parenting efficacy and knowledge improved significantly in the HIP arm, resulting in higher scores vs LIP at T2 and T3 (P ≤ .01). No significant between-group differences were found in child school functioning; however, HIP children showed significantly better social functioning and performance on one measure of attention (CPT-3 commissions) at T3 (P < .05). While HIP adherence challenges were observed, with only 33 (61%) completing the intervention, exploratory analyses suggest that benefits were most evident among those who fully engaged. Satisfaction and perceived benefit were greater for HIP vs LIP at both time points (P < .05). Our results suggest the potential value of parent-directed behavioral interventions like HIP for CCSs and their families. Further studies are needed to address participation barriers and enhance engagement to maximize and sustain benefits.

Latino Family Engagement and Student Outcomes in Early Elementary School: Evidence from Two National Datasets

ABSTRACT Family engagement in children’s schooling is important. Research indicates that Latino families often utilize home-based practices (e.g. reading, telling stories, singing, counting) over school-based involvement (e.g. participating in school events and committees, volunteering in the classroom). Using an assets-based approach, the present study considers both school- and home-based forms of engagement for Latino families. Drawing upon data from two large, nationally representative datasets, the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010–11 (ECLS-K:2011; N = 4,590) and the Head Start Impact Study (HSIS; N = 1,670), this study seeks to examine national patterns of Latino family school- and home-based engagement in kindergarten, and how such engagement relates to child academic, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes in early elementary school. Descriptive findings show high levels of Latino family participation in a variety of both home-based academic activities and school-based activities. Regression analyses indicate an association between Latino family engagement and child outcomes, most evident in school-based engagement. Implications for educators, schools, and research are discussed.

Parenting Stress and Child Behavior Problems among Latino and non-Latino Families of Autistic Children: Exploring Day-to-Day Temporal Relations

Behavior problems are common among young autistic children and are related to elevated parenting stress levels among their caregivers. However, previous studies of this population have rarely examined relations between child behavior problems and parenting stress at a daily level and, to date, have not examined how these relations may differ for Latino families. Using a day-to-day, within-person design, this study bidirectionally examined these temporal relations among 70 families of autistic children (ages 3–5 years, 74.3% male, 49% Latino parents) who participated in a 14-day daily-diary study. Parent-reported child behavior problem severity and parenting stress were measured daily. Constructs were partitioned into their between- and within-person components and analyzed using time-lagged MLM models. At the between-person level, greater reported child behavior problem severity, relative to the group average, was positively associated with next-day parenting stress and vice versa. This relationship was moderated by Latino ethnicity, such that the positive relationship between reported child behavior problem severity and next-day parenting stress was weaker for Latino (versus non-Latino) families. These bidirectional relationships differed at the within-person level, such that, unexpectedly, greater-than-usual parenting stress, compared to parents’ own average, was negatively associated with next-day child behavior severity. Findings underscore the value of using daily diary methodology to decompose between- and within-person effects, and reveal potential intervention targets to improve parent and child functioning, particularly among minoritized families of autistic children.

Specific cultural traits of the precarity of older Latinos living alone with cognitive impairment in the San Francisco Bay Area

Objectives Latinos are about twice as likely to develop cognitive impairment. Culturally, filial support and familismo are expected within Latino families. Yet approximately twenty percent of Latinos live alone in the United States. The purpose of this study is to explore the concerns and priorities of older Latinos living alone with cognitive impairment, using a precarity framework. Method We conducted 22 in-home interviews with older Latinos living alone with cognitive impairment, and we supplemented the interviews with interviews with members of the older adults’ social circle and providers. Themes influencing the precarity of Latino older adults living alone were organized through the major areas of the precarity lens; 1) Limited awareness of cognitive impairment; 2) Self-management of cognitive impairment; and 3) Lacking tailored services for cognitive impairment. Results Latino culture permeated and intersected across the lived experiences of participants living alone with cognitive impairment. Precarity was prevalent in all participants’ lives and was exacerbated by familismo combined with cognitive impairment. Conclusion Findings showed precarity in the experiences the participants shared. Participant narratives reveal how the Latino culture intersects with the experience of precarity while living alone with cognitive impairment, especially in reference to the role that family plays through the expectation of familismo. However, given the difficult demands of employment and raising their own families, familismo can become more like a goal than a practice. Further research is needed to better understand how to bridge the gap between the needs of these older Latino adults living alone with cognitive impairment, their families, and formal services.

Fostering Dialogic Reading Through Older Siblings in Immigrant Latino Families: A Pilot Study

To promote children’s language development through designs that consider familial contexts, the authors explored the effectiveness of a dialogic reading intervention customized for older siblings in immigrant Latino families. The dialogic reading intervention, developed with components of training, modeling, and coaching, systematically supported older siblings’ dialogic reading use while reading with their younger siblings. Using the CROWD mnemonic, older siblings were taught to use a range of dialogic reading prompts, thereby nurturing diverse forms of engagement during shared interactive book reading (SIBR) sessions. Moreover, older siblings were taught the PEER mnemonic to enhance their ability to respond to their younger siblings’ input in manners conducive to promoting the latter’s language development. Effects of the intervention program on three older siblings’ (1) prompting and (2) responsiveness during SIBR were assessed using a multiple-baseline across participants design. Results indicate that two out of three older siblings increased prompt frequency and demonstrated improved responsiveness after receiving coaching and modeling support. Challenges faced by one older sibling are discussed, potentially attributed to individual language and literacy difficulties. Results tentatively indicate that older siblings have the capacity to acquire and apply dialogic reading skills if given appropriate instruction and support. These results illuminate opportunities to enhance SIBR techniques among siblings, underscoring the significant role older siblings in immigrant Latino families can play in providing enriched language input during SIBR.

Co-designing the Family Wellbeing Program to Address Mental Health Disparities in a Latino Community: Lessons Learned

Abstract: Background: Latino caregivers caring for children under 5 years old who are under resourced, and underserved may be most vulnerable for experiencing mental health problems. Furthermore, Latino families with young children—during the COVID-19 pandemic—were at particular risk for multiple and concurrent stressors and acute adversities. Objectives: The Family Wellbeing Program (FWP) was designed to strengthen Latino caregivers’ mental health and mental well-being, and facilitate their access to mental health supports and service providers. Methods: Using the principles of community-based participatory research, a university research team and staff from a federally qualified health care center co-developed and implemented the FWP. Pre- and post-implementation focus groups with six staff were conducted and data analysis was guided by the RE-AIM framework. Results: Staff identified implementation challenges related to the pandemic and socioenvironmental factors affecting the reach and participation of Latino families. Staff perceived the program improved caregivers’ help-seeking behaviors, yet suggestions for improving the FWP for Latino caregivers were noted. Staff also discussed implementation strategies to sustain future programming. Conclusions: Implementation strategies along the RE-AIM dimensions were identified to improve the participation of Latino caregivers in future adaptations of the FWP. The implications of this work could show promise for sustaining programs designed to address disparities in mental health among Latino caregivers.

Heart Healthy Routines in Young Children With Sesame Workshop: A Qualitative Study of Latina Mothers With Economic Hardship

ObjectiveTo explore how Sesame Workshop resources are perceived by Latino families with economic hardship and to highlight approaches for early heart healthy routine promotion. MethodsWe performed a purposive sampling of Latina mothers (n = 40) with young children experiencing economic hardship. Using an interview guide informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, we recorded Spanish and English semistructured interviews, which were translated and transcribed verbatim. Partnering with Sesame Workshop, we iteratively incorporated Sesame Resources into interviews to query for acceptability. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we coded transcripts through textual analysis until saturation, prioritizing in vivo coding to capture participant voices. ResultsWe constructed 3 themes. Parents connected with resources that 1) Reflect lived and multicultural experiences containing recognizable family scenes that can serve as tools to transfer a parent’s own early routines or cultural rituals to their child. They appreciated resources that 2) Engage caregivers and children together, featuring elements for both children and adult caregivers with activities to highlight important caregivers and encourage shared play. Participants also reflected on how 3) Routines amplify family strengths and foster resilient reactions with feelings of decreased stress when daily practices become routines, promoting resilient reactions and supporting long-term goals when facing setbacks. ConclusionsAn interdisciplinary partnership leveraged strengths of pediatric practitioners and Sesame Workshop to align future initiatives with the values and priorities of mothers of young children at risk for early obesity. Resultant themes inform strategies to promote heart healthy routines and relational health in young children with economic hardship.

A Mixed Methods Investigation into Latino Fathers’ Roles in Their Children’s Educational Expectations

ABSTRACT Latino fathers make meaningful contributions toward their children’s educational expectations. Cultural factors and structural barriers may shape unique parenting roles for Latino fathers and their influence on their children’s educational expectations. To explore the culturally nuanced roles of Latino fathers, we conducted a convergent mixed-methods study with 244 emerging adults to gain their perceptions of their fathers’ parenting roles and how those roles influenced the relation between the fathers’ and emerging adult children’s educational expectations. A content analysis of qualitative data identified positive (e.g. motivation and emotional support) and negative roles (e.g. family absence and overworking) that participants perceived their fathers had in their education. Quantitatively, Latino fathers’ educational expectations predicted emerging adults’ own educational expectations, with the strongest association for fathers coded as having a positive parental role. Findings from this study support the need for more inclusive and culturally relevant research practices with Latino fathers and families. Supporting and incorporating the roles of Latino fathers in the school system may increase students’ educational expectations.

Stress and child internalizing symptoms: Examining the moderating role of Latino fathers' warmth and support.

Latino immigrants within the United States experience various stressors, which have been linked to the development and exacerbation of internalizing symptoms among Latino youth. Therefore, it is crucial to explore factors that may buffer the impact of stress among immigrant families. Fathers may influence child outcomes through positive parenting behaviors, yet Latino fathers have been underrepresented in research. This study examined how paternal warmth and support may moderate the association between the accumulation of stress and child internalizing symptoms among low-income, Latino immigrant families. Participants included 62 children between the ages of 6 and 10, and their paternal caregivers (94% fathers; 90% born in Mexico). This study utilized a multi-method approach including parent-report, child-report and observational measures. Participants completed questionnaires and video-recorded family interaction tasks during home visits. Stress was positively associated with child-reported depression. Self-reported paternal warmth was associated with fewer parent-reported child internalizing symptoms and moderated the effects of stress on symptoms. Analyses showed a significant positive association between paternal stress and child internalizing symptoms for children with the lowest levels of parental warmth. However, when paternal warmth was high, accumulation of stress and child internalizing symptoms were not related. Thus, high levels of warmth buffered the impact of stress on internalizing symptoms. This study highlights the importance of Latino fathers' parenting behaviors on child internalizing symptoms.

Poverty Status at Birth Predicts Epigenetic Changes at Age 15.

We used 15 years of follow up of 854 racially and ethnically diverse birth cohort who were followed from birth to age 15. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine the effects of race/ethnicity, maternal education, and family structure on poverty at birth, as well as the effects of poverty at birth on epigenetic changes at age 15. We also explored variations by sex. Our findings indicate that Black and Latino families had lower maternal education and married family structure which in turn predicted poverty at birth. Poverty at birth then was predictive of epigenetic changes 15 years later when the index child was 15. This suggested that poverty at birth partially mediates the effects of race/ethnicity, maternal education, and family structure on epigenetic changes of youth at age 15. There was an effect of poverty status at birth on DNA methylation of male but not female youth at age 15. Thus, poverty at birth may have a more salient effect on long term epigenetic changes of male than female youth. Further studies are needed to understand the mechanisms underlying the observed sex differences in the effects of poverty as a mechanism that connects race/ethnicity, maternal education, and family structure to epigenetic changes later in life.

Cultural values, parenting, and child adjustment in the United States.

We examined whether cultural values, conformity and parenting behaviours were related to child adjustment in middle childhood in the United States. White, Black and Latino mothers (n = 273), fathers (n = 182) and their children (n = 272) reported on parental individualism and collectivism, conformity values, parental warmth, monitoring, family obligation expectations, and child internalising and externalising behaviours. Mean differences, bivariate correlations and multiple regression analyses were performed on variables of interest. Collectivism in mothers and fathers was associated with family obligation expectations and parental warmth. Fathers with higher conformity values had higher expectations of children's family obligations. Child internalising and externalising behaviours were greater when Latino families subscribed to individualistic values. These results are discussed in the context of cultural values, protective and promotive factors of behaviour, and race/ethnicity in the United States.

Compliance and Readiness to a Low Free Sugar Diet Among Latino Families: Lessons Learned From an Ongoing Pediatric NAFLD Prevention Trial

Compliance and Readiness to a Low Free Sugar Diet Among Latino Families: Lessons Learned From an Ongoing Pediatric NAFLD Prevention Trial

Educational Values of Latino Families Participating in a School Readiness Intervention: Hopes and Implications for Pediatrics.

To explore Latino parents' educational values and hopes for their preschool-aged children after a clinic school readiness (SR) intervention. Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews of Latino parents regarding their perceptions of a novel SR coaching intervention (2016-2017). Parents who received the intervention were approached for interview (n = 74); 59 postintervention interviews were completed in English or Spanish, audio recorded, transcribed, and translated into English. Iterative team-based coding and inductive thematic analysis of 47 interviews were conducted by 3 team members using Dedoose. Children were on average 4.5 years old, with the majority speaking Spanish at home (57%), and having preschool experience (81%). Mothers mostly had no paid employment (53%) and limited formal education. Four domains emerged: 1) education is valued and seen as a pathway to a successful life for children, and 2) while structural and cultural barriers exist, 3) Latino families are motivated and 4) trust providers to offer SR support. Parents suggested pediatricians could provide more SR knowledge to families and offer programs within primary care. Integration of findings are summarized in a framework for clinical practice. Latino parents' trust in their pediatric providers, combined with their strong educational aspirations for their children, offers the pediatric clinic an opportunity to partner with families to reduce systemic SR barriers. Pediatric providers can support Latino parents in preparing their children for school through culturally responsive, strengths-based approaches that build on their educational aspirations, value existing SR efforts, offer SR knowledge around early literacy and math, and build connections to early childhood programs.

A Scoping Review to Contribute to Knowledge About Culturally Adapting Interventions for Latino Family Caregivers of Persons Living With Dementia.

Few interventions have focused on Latino family caregivers to persons with dementia, addressing their unique needs. This review aimed to identify best practices in cultural adaptation to make recommendations for adapting interventions for Latino family caregivers of persons living with dementia. This scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute Scoping Review guidelines, with findings extracted and summarized from 17 studies addressing cultural adaptation. Frameworks guiding the adaptations were comprehensive, addressing cultural values and traditions and the social context faced by Latino family caregivers. Features of the adaptations included diverse teams of researchers and community members, including Latino family caregivers, to inform the integration of cultural values into the content, mode, and place of intervention delivery. Culturally adapting evidence-based interventions will increase the number of available interventions for Latino family caregivers to persons living with dementia, thus reducing inequities in caregiver support.

Psychosocial Experiences of Spanish-Speaking Parents of Children With Craniofacial Microsomia.

Craniofacial microsomia (CFM) and microtia psychosocial research in the US is primarily with English-speaking participants. Given that 19% of the US is Latino, and there is a higher prevalence of CFM in Latino populations, this study aims to describe psychosocial experiences related to CFM among Spanish-speaking Latino caregivers to better inform health care. Narrative interviews (mean 73±17min) were completed in Spanish with parents of children with CFM aged 3 to 17 (mean age 10.8±4.8years). Transcripts were analyzed using quantitative linguistic analyses and reflexive thematic analysis. Participants (N=12) were mostly mothers (83%) who had immigrated to the US and had low socioeconomic status. Based upon analysis of grouped word counts, participants spent approximately half of their narratives discussing the first two years of their child's life. Themes selected based on US Latino sociodemographics and cultural values included the Impact of Language, Healthcare Challenges, Supportive Healthcare Experiences, Caregiver Coping with CFM, Family Roles, and Addressing Social Implications of CFM. Results highlighted that the first years of care are of critical importance to parents and suggest this is an optimal time to focus on education and support services for families. Additional treatment suggestions include providing interpretation and informational materials in Spanish, addressing care barriers, supporting familial and child coping, accounting for the role of extended family, and helping address social concerns. Ongoing research with Latino families can further assist in guiding culturally sensitive CFM health care.

The Influence of Parental Communication about Sex on Subsequent Sexual Behaviors and Attitudes among Asian, Latino, and White Young Adults

Background: The prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among young adults aged 18 to 25 in the U.S. is particularly high. Parental communication about sex is crucial in reducing sexual risk behaviors among this group. Due to cultural taboos about sex among Asian and Latino families, little is known about parental sex communication’s prevalence among these groups and its impact on young adults’ sexual behaviors and attitudes. Methods: This study aimed to explore the association between parental sex communication, attitudes toward sex communication, and sexual behaviors among Asian, Latino, and White young adults. A sample of 205 young adults, including 63 Asian, 48 Latino, and 94 non-Hispanic White young adults (Age M = 20.04, SD = 1.22; 68% females; 70% sexually active), completed an online survey. Results: Asian young adults reported significantly lower rates of parental sex communication (39.7%) compared to Latino (69.6%) and White young adults (67.7%) (χ2 = 14.07, df = 2, p &lt; 0.001). Parental sex communication predicted viewing sexual topics as cultural taboos among Latino young adults (p &lt; 0.05), subsequently predicting sexual risk behaviors like having multiple partners (β = −4.05, SE = 1.45, p = 0.03). Conclusions: Asian participants’ attitudes and sexual risk behaviors may be influenced by factors beyond familial discussions due to the lack of parental sex communication. Conversely, parental discussions among Latino participants negatively impact attitudes and behaviors related to sexual risk. Strategies for reducing sexual risk behaviors should guide parents in navigating sensitive discussions, especially within Asian and Latino families where such topics are taboo.